Railway-tie and rail-fastener.



H. M. GAUL, Jn. RAILWAY TIB AND RAIL FASTBNBR.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 24,1910.

Patented May 17, 1910.

HENRY lVI. GAUL, JR., OF SINKING SPRING, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-TIE AND RAIL-FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 17, 1910.

Application filed February 24, 1910. Serial No. 545,600.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY M. GAUL, J r., a. citizen of the United-States, residing at Sinking Spring, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Ties and Rail-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in railway ties and means for securing the rails of railways to the ties, and the object in the present invention, is to produce a railway of substantial construction and one in which the rails may be readily removed from the ties by any one authorized todo so, but which cannot easily be interfered with by others than those so authorized.

The invention consists of a tie of metal, formed with a longitudinal opening therein and means located in the opening by which the rail clamping devices are moved to and from engagement with the rail base. Provision is also made for locking the rail clamping devices when in normal position, so that interference by unauthorized persons is reduced to a minimum. The device dispenses entirely with the Ausual rail fastening spikes and it is adapted to rails of all sizes and weights.

The invention is more fully described in the following specification and clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal central sectional view of my improved tie, with the rail and fastening device shown at one end only. F ig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 shows the rail clamp operating mechanism in the opposite position from that shown in Fig. 1.

The numeral 1 designates the tie, which is made of metal and hollowed out at the bottom, so as to save material and also form a pocket for ballast when in position. This tie is formed with a longitudinal opening 2 in its top, of irregular width and in this opening I place the rail clamping mechanism. This clamping mechanism consists of a removable outside clamp 3 at each end; a pair of inside clamping members 4 adapted to slide to and from the inside of the rail base and an operating mechanism for moving these sliding clamps. This operating mechanism is located in the center of the tie and consists of a double cam 5 mounted on a shaft 6 and adapted, when the shaft is turned, to move the members 4 toward the rails. This mechanism is housed in a rectangular opening in the tie and the shaft is provided with a spring 7 adapted to keep the cam normally down in the position shown in Fig. 1, while the top of the shaft is provided with a removable head, 8, by means of which the shaft may be raised and turned. Vhen the parts are in the proper position, this head is removed, by the removal of the screw 9, and any interference therewith is unlikely inasmuch as the shaft would have to be raised before it could be turned and without the head in po-` sition it would be very diiiicult to raise it.

Vhen the shaft is raised, the cam rises above the surface of the ledge l0 and rests thereon and when it is returned to the lowered position, it rests in a plate 5a of rectangular form. This plate is located in a reotangular pocket 11 in the tie and is held in position when the cam is raised by its contact with the under sides of the inner ends of the members 4. This plate is formed with a depression 5b of the same shape as, and but slightly larger than, the cam 5, in which the said cam 5 seats itself when in lowered position, as shown in Fig. 1.

The numeral 12 indicates a suitable cover or closure for the cam mechanism. This cover is formed with lugs 13 which engage the sliding members 4 and prevent its becoming displaced.

The inner walls of the opening 2 in the tie are formed with lugs 14, adapted to act as guides for the sliding members 4 and also to prevent their accidental removal from their proper position. These members are formed with recesses 4au along both sides, adapted to engage the guides 14 and be locked by them in position, when forced out by the operat-ing mechanism.

In operation, the end members 3 of the clamping device are placed in position in the tie opening; the sliding members 4 and the operating' mechanism therefor are all placed in position shown in Fig. 3, withthe members 4 at their innermost positions and the cam at right angles to the line of the tie. The rails are placed under the clamping members 3 and 4 and the shaft of the operating mechanism, 6, is turned until the cam 5 snaps into its pocket, it having by the turning action just described, contacted with the inner ends of the sliding members 4 and forced them outward until the rail bases have been properly engaged. IVhen the cam reaches the position Where it registers With its pocket, the rails have been properly se cured and the lowering of the operating mechanism locks it against further turning, without raising it again above the upper edge of said pocket. In order to prevent this being done maliciously or accidentally, I remove the head of the operating shaft, Which is so constructed that it may be readily placed in position.

It will be seen that with my device the rails are securely clamped and the danger of interference is reduced to a. minimum. The entire device is of metal.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is In a railway tie and rail fastener, a tie made of metal and formed with a central longitudinal opening of irregular Width in its top, removable outside rail clamps; slid- -able inside rail clamps adapted to move in said opening; operating means for moving said sliding clamps consisting of a vdouble cam adapted to contact With the inner ends of the clamps, said cam being secured to a shaft and said shaft having means for raising and lowering the cam, and means for locking said cam when the sliding clamps are Vin engagement with the rails.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence yof two Witnesses.

HENRY M. GAUL, JR.

IVit-nesses En. A. KELLY, M. C. KREIDER. 

